Go Into the World
I persecuted this Way to the death, binding both men and
women and delivering them to prison. Even the high priest and the whole council
of elders can testify on my behalf. For from them, I even received letters to
the brothers and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for
punishment those there as well. “On that journey as I drew near to Damascus,
about noon, a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me. I fell to the
ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting
me?’” Acts 22:4-7
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into
the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever
believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be
condemned. Mark 16:15-16
Piety
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Study
“Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose.”[i]
Saul was free to do as he pleased. He was persecuting the
people who followed Jesus — delivering them to prison and bringing people in
chains.
Saul was free until he was not. And when he was not free to persecute the
followers of Jesus, he was then free to follow the Gospel. Saul changed and, in his place, stood Paul,
free to follow Jesus the Nazorean. He
was so loose that he could not “not” follow Jesus.
The intentional pairing of Saul/Paul’s conversion with the
commissioning of the disciples after the resurrection reminds us that our
salvation story in Sacred Scripture is a tale with new beginnings.
Action
Early in Ordinary Time 2020 is a new beginning for us as
well. How does Paul inspire change in
us? What would Jesus say as we sat in the dirt, knocked off our high and mighty
horse (ego)? Would he challenge the
fancy cars we drive? The big
houses? The money we store up for
retirement? The small portion that we
give to the poor?
“Tony, Tony, why are you persecuting me?”
Jesus sent Paul into town to seek out people who will reveal
his mission – not unlike Jesus commissions the disciples in today’s
Gospel.
Paul meets with Ananias. However, despite the challenging
instruction, his attitude shines forth in the response: “Here I am, Lord.” He accepted the task with obedience and humility.
Will we respond like Paul:
blind and in chains? Or will we
respond like Ananias: with obedience and humility? How is Jesus changing your heart, your mind, and your life?
[i]
From Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee”
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